Seeking information on rank, insignias and patches on WWII uniform

Question

How can I find out what the insignias and patches mean on my grandfathers uniform. I have a photo of him but that&rsquo;s about it. My mother doesn&rsquo;t know anything about his time in service and I was only able to find his enlistment document for 1943. I don&rsquo;t know when he left the army either

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

Acrup 
 Thank you for posting your question to History Hub! 
 If you have not already done so, we recommend that you request his Official Military Personnel File, or OMPF. Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs) and individual medical reports for enlisted men of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after October 1912 and prior to 1955 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. You should at least be able to receive separation papers (form DD-214) which will list key points of his time in the service such as dates of his service, when he was deployed overseas, awards and decorations, and the unit he was assigned to upon separation from the military. You may apply online for this file at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/ . 
 
 Information relating to heraldic items such as coats of arms or historic insignia, uniforms, flags, colors, streamers, and guidons of military units can be obtained by writing the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, 9325 Gunston Road, Room S-112, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5579 or call (703) 806-4971. Their web site is https://tioh.army.mil/ . 
 
 We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow up questions for the staff at Archives II, please email us at archives2reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further. We hope this assists you with your research! Sincerely, Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) [RR2RR 24-40421-LN]